Interim director leads newly merged units

On July 1, Dr. Judith Appleton, the Alfred H. Caspary Professor of Immunology and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, began her tenure as director of the newly merged James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health and Cornell Feline Health Center (FHC). Appleton succeeds Dr. Douglas Antczak, who has returned to his full-time faculty position as the Dorothy Havemeyer McConville Professor of Equine Medicine after fifteen years at the helm of the Baker, and Dr. Fred Scott, who came out of retirement to serve as interim director for the FHC.

The physical move of the FHC staff to the Baker Institute campus on Hungerford Hill Road is expected to be completed by mid-November. The process has been facilitated by Drs. Chris Belezza and Paul Maza, who have served for several years as consultants for the FHC and have provided support and guidance for the transition.

“The merger of Baker and FHC under a single director in a unified location will allow each organization to benefit from the complementary, signature strength of the other – the robust research capacity of the Baker Institute and the strong outreach programs of the FHC,” said Appleton, who will help with the search for a permanent director. “A key element to a successful merger will be the preservation of the unique identities of the Baker Institute and the FHC. Both organizations have rich and remarkable legacies. The merger of these two world-renowned institutions will further strengthen the overall capacity of the College to develop and disseminate science-based knowledge about animal health.”